Question

natasha tretheweys poem \letter home\ was originally published in 2001.
letter home
-new orleans, november 1910
four weeks have passed since i left, and still
i must write to you of no work. ive worn down
the soles and walked through the tightness
of my new shoes calling upon the merchants,
their offices bustling. all the while i kept thinking
my plan english and good writing would secure
for me some modest position. though i dress each day
in my best, hands covered with the lace gloves
you crocheted - no one needs a girl. how flat
the word sounds, and heavy. my purse thin.
i spend foolishly to make an appearance of quiet
industry, to mask the desperation that tightens
my throat. i sit watching-
though i pretend not to notice - the dark maids
ambling by with their white charges. do i deceive
anyone? were they to see my hands, brown
as your dear face, theyd know im not quite
what ive posed to be. i walk these streets
a white woman, or so i think, until i catch the eyes
of some stranger upon me, and i must lower mine,
a negress again. there are enough things here
to remind me who i am. mules lumbering through
the crowded streets send me into reverie, their footfall
the sound of a pointer and chalk hitting the blackboard
at school, only louder. then there are women, clacking
their tongues in conversation, canying their loads
on their heads. their husky voices, the wash pots
and irons of the laundresses call to me. here,
what is the source of the internal conflict acknowledged by the speaker?
a she struggles with both written and spoken language.
b she discovers that she is overqualified for employment as a maid.
c she misses her family intensely but is optimistic that she will find work in the
city
d she realizes that her race and gender will make it difficult for her to achieve her
goals

Explanation:

The poem shows the speaker's awareness of societal barriers (implied by race - as seen in the description of "dark maids" and gender - in a time when certain jobs were gendered) that hinder her goals. There is no indication of language struggle (A is wrong). There's no mention of being over - qualified for a maid's job (B is wrong). While she misses home (implied by "Letter Home" title), the conflict is more about external (race and gender) - based internal conflict rather than just homesickness and optimism (C is wrong).

Answer:

D. She realizes that her race and gender will make it difficult for her to achieve her goals.